Russia could deploy its naval forces to prevent the seizure of ships from the phantom fleet by European states, warns former FSB chief, Nikolai Patrushev. A close associate of Vladimir Putin also maintains that Moscow, in turn, could adopt retaliatory measures against the navigation of European ships.
“We believe that the best guarantee of navigation safety is always the military fleet. In the main maritime areas, including those far from Russia, we must permanently deploy forces capable of tempering the ardor of Western pirates,” Patrushev stated.
Western states have tried to isolate Russia from global trade through sanctions. According to Antena3, there was an attempt to paralyze the financial system by imposing over 30,000 sanctions, following the outbreak of the war in Ukraine.
To discourage the Kremlin’s war ambitions, the West has tried to block tankers suspected of involvement in oil transports, avoiding sanctions. In January, the US seized a ship under the Russian flag, as part of efforts to reduce oil sales from Venezuela.